This post has been about a month in the making, and when I have news to share I don’t beat around the bush. Like the time I had this whole story ready for my former boss (whom I love and adore) when I was leaving my desk job to blog full time. I marched into her office ready to wax poetic about following my dreams and such, then immediately broke down crying and blabbed, I’m quitting! Nice.

Specifically, I was recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease which means I cannot eat gluten found in wheat, barley, nor rye as it damages the lining of the small intestine, preventing it from absorbing vital nutrients. Simply put, celiac disease can cause malnutrition if left untreated. The disease was likely triggered by the birth of my son who was delivered via emergency c-section after a very long and very painful labor.

MY OTHER RECIPES

Many people have asked if I’m “going gluten free” over the past month after noticing me sharing gluten free recipes and products on Instagramand Facebook. I’ve prolonged posting about it here on IGE because it’s out of the norm for me to share health news on this site and also, I don’t want to turn people off from this food blog. So, hear me out (and sorry if this is kind of all over the place!)

I’m still learning about celiac disease but from what I’ve researched and my doctor has agreed to is that the disease can lay dormant in some people only to be triggered or “awakened” by traumatic events to your body – think a car crash or unplanned emergency c-section. After Lincoln’s birth I felt very sick for 6 months. I weighed less than I did pre-pregnancy (which was cool for like, a second,) felt like a zombie even after Lincoln started sleeping through the night, and basically just felt like hell. I had an inkling that gluten might be the culprit and after undergoing a few procedures to get the final diagnosis, and cutting gluten from my diet, I feel like a new woman.

Clear head, a healthy weight, and energy through the roof.

At first all I could do was laugh at the irony of a food blogger being diagnosed with celiac disease. I seriously wondered how I’d go on posting knowing I’d be limited to cooking foods that do not contain wheat (I don’t cook much with either barley or rye.) Then I started analyzing my diet and realized that 90% of the foods I already ate were naturally gluten free. As I scrolled through past posts here on IGE, I was tickled to find that many of them were centered around meat, beans, cheeses, rice, potatoes, fruits, nuts, seeds, and vegetables – all of which do not contain gluten. In short, eating gluten free at home has not been difficult.

I could go on and on – talking about what I’ve missed so far (pizza! BEER! Not loving GF beer so far…) my feelings about eating out at restaurants (apprehensive – contamination is a huge issue,) and how gluten is hiding in a bajillion products at the grocery store (bitter, though I’ve been finding some great GF products,) but I’ll wrap it up and talk to you real quick about what this means for IGE.

I will not be posting recipes with gluten. Ben and I eat the food I cook for the blog and it would be wasteful to cook foods that I cannot consume. Furthermore, how can I write about something I can’t taste? I will also not be posting notes alongside ingredients like worcestershire sauce or soy sauce, which sometimes contain gluten, that say make sure you check for gluten! because that would get redundant, and if you have celiac disease or a gluten intolerance then you know to check for things like that.

What I can promise you is that the recipes posted here will remain easy, seasonal, family-friendly, and most importantly, delicious. If you’ve enjoyed the past month’s recipes (all of which are gluten free, with the exception of one – Creamy Chicken Pasta,) then you will continue to enjoy my recipes moving forward.

I’ve quickly learned that gluten free does NOT mean taste free, nor full of weird, hard to find ingredients. On the contrary, it means fresh and flavorful food! Like I said, my diet was already largely based around gluten free foods anyway, and I bet yours might be too.

So if you’ve made it this far, thank you! And I’ve also got a humdinger of a recipe for you today. I’m going absolutely bananas for Lemon Blackberry Breakfast Cookies which are egg free, dairy free and, yes, gluten free. With all those restrictions you might think these babies taste like cardboard, but I literally can. not. stop. eating them.

I mean, healthy, great-tasting cookies for breakfast! Who can’t get down with that?

Old fashioned oats are mixed with honey instead of refined sugar, applesauce instead of oil, banana instead of egg (though they do not taste banana-y) fresh blackberries, lemon zest, and lemon juice then baked. These breakfast cookies are chewy, perfectly sweet, dense and absolutely delicious. Good for the heart, taste buds and soul!

Bake these cookies then pair with a piece of fruit or yogurt for breakfast, or serve to the kids as an after-school snack. They’ll love ’em (and you’ll love serving them!) I can’t even confess to you how many I’ve eaten over the past week. I had to freeze the leftovers to stop myself! Which, by the way, is another awesome perk of this recipe. Freeze the extra cookies then microwave for just 20 seconds for an insta-delish breakfast.

Ooo, oo, it’s also made in just one bowl so clean up is nearly nil!

Start with 3-3/4 cups old fashioned oats. I know I said I wouldn’t do this, but it’s important to note that if you have celiac disease or a gluten intolerance you’ll want to buy certified gluten free oats. Oats are naturally gluten free but are usually processed in facilities that also process wheat which means they can be contaminated with gluten. Even GF oats might trigger a reaction in severe cases of celiac disease, but so far I’ve been fine with them.

Anyway, I’ve found these GF Bob’s Red Mill Old Fashioned Oats at every single grocery store in town!

Add 1-3/4 cups of the oats to a food processor then process until the oats have turned into flour, about 3-4 minutes.

Mix the wet and dry ingredients together then fold in 1lb blackberries. Blackberries are selling for next to nothing right now at the grocery store so stock up for the freezer, and for these cookies of course! I’ve also used blueberries in here and they are awesome.

Let the batter sit and thicken for 10 minutes then scoop 1/4 cup of the batter (I used an ice cream scoop) onto a baking sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper. Wet your fingers with water then press down slightly on the tops of the cookies, as they won’t spread much if at all in the oven.

Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees or until the edges are golden brown and the top is set, then cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container on the counter for 2 days, in the fridge for up to 4 days, or pop into a freezer bag and freeze. Like I said, just 20 seconds or so to reheat in the microwave – whee!

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees then line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper and set aside. Add 1-3/4 cups oats to a food processor then process for 3-4 minutes or until very fine to make oat flour.

Scoop 1/4 cup batter (I used an ice cream scoop) onto prepared baking sheet then wet hand with water and press down to flatten slightly (cookies will not spread.) Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown around the edges and set on top. Cool completely then store in an airtight container for up to 2 days, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or wrap individually in plastic wrap then freeze in a freezer bag. Wrap in a paper towel then microwave for 20 seconds to thaw.

Actually, on the contrary gluten-free diets are typically more processed, higher fat and higher calorie. Gluten-free diets are extremely difficult to follow. Only people with diagnosed CD or gluten sensitivity should follow a GF diet.

Kristin – I’m sorry about your diagnosis and I feel for you, but it really couldn’t have happened to a better person with your knowledge about food/cooking and label reading. Thanks for sharing your story.

Welcome to the Celiac life! When I found out I had Celiac I have to say it was the best thing to happen. I was able to eat again and I love being gluten-free! It never hast o be about restriction. I have learned so much about food since, so many new foods that I would never have thought about! It is such a fun journey and so rewarding! <3

I have a lot to say.
First, I’m not going anywhere. Your site has been my favorite food site for a couple of years and it’s not the gluten that keeps me here.
Second, my sister-in-law is a brittle diabetic and therefore cannot eat gluten/carbs. I reached out to you for recipes for her and you responded with some fantastic suggestions and ideas.
Third, you might find the book Grain Brain interesting.
I can’t imagine what a difficult time that must have been for you after your son’s birth. I’m glad you figured it out and feel much better now.
I look forward to all your recipes and baby pics and family stories!!!

I’m so happy you figured out what was going on and are feeling like yourself again! Feeling that bad for a prolonged period is really miserable and I can imagine it was a very difficult time. Glad to hear you’ve embraced it. I love your site and I’ll continue to read and make your recipes because it’s more than just the recipes that make me love the site. PS- I think everyone dreams with some of the Friday Favorites. I know I do!

I loved the way this pie came out! The crust, in particular, impressed me so much, that it may well usurp a more conventional wheat-based crust as my go to savoury pie crust (or at least take an equal place). With the oat and almond flours, it’s just so hearty and flavourful!

I’m so happy that you’re feeling better! And selfishly, although 90% of your recipes are already gluten free, I’m pumped that the rest of them will be too. Fellow gluten-avoider here!

I missed beer SO much when I went gluten free. And I’ve tried ALL of the GF beers out there. My favorite is Lakefront Brewery’s New Grist (you can totally find it at HyVee), followed by New Planet’s Raspberry Ale. If my local store doesn’t have either of those, I’ll settle for hard cider.

I also use Better Batter flour if I need to bake from scratch/thicken stuff. It’s a perfect 1-1 cup replacement (although in baking, it does need more liquid).

Also, oats are hit & miss. I don’t “react” to the wal-mart brand of oats or Bob’s, but sometimes I’ll react to Quaker.

What a bummer to be diagnosed with celiac disease (I was diagnosed in 2007…) It’s not bad though, and gets easier all the time.

As a fellow Iowan, hickory park kicks butt at gluten free. They’re knowledgable and make you feel safe. Have a hot fudge split for me please? I’m too far away to indulge in on anytime soon. I know you like to go to the twin cities too which is a great place to eat gluten free. Email me if you need restaurant suggestions. That’s where I’m from originally, so I know who’s the real deal up there.

Thanks for sharing your celiac disease journey. Every bit of awareness helps make the world safer for us and our bellies!!

I’m glad you were able to figure it out and get your life back on track. I don’t think this will change your blog any, I’m excited to see gluten free recipes! I’ve been considering cutting out gluten, because I’ve wondered if I might have a sensitivity. I’ve heard 50% of people do have some degree of sensitivity, not full blown celiac, but something less severe. As always, I will continue to enjoy your site! Thanks for sharing.

My family and I have been gluten free for many years. Excited that you’ll be posting more gf recipes but I’ve been taking some of your recipes and making them gf for a while anyway :) glad you’re feeling better!

I’m happy you were able to find out a diagnosis, my son has been dealing with stomach issues for the past 3 yrs, the latest is that he should follow a candida diet. He is in College and as you can imagine this is hard to do. Good luck, I look forward to seeing your posts.

Sorry to hear you’ve been feeling so bad but glad you were able to get a diagnosis and can take action! Your recipes are great and I don’t think it can hurt anyone to try new things whether it be gluten-free, vegetarian, etc. It certainly helps expand your cooking knowledge.

I have been GF my whole life (my hippie dippie Mom figured it out when I projectile vomited everytime she gave me something with gluten) undiagnosed celiacs. I have tested the theory and become very ill. There are so many things you can do that you will learn like there is GF soy sauce or coconut amenos! There is so much out there compaired to 33 years ago when my Mom used to make rice bricks for me. You can have pizza, there are great mixes or great recipes and there is some good beers out there that are gluten free or ciders. Good luck on your new journey and ahve fun with your new challenge of finding new ways to make old things :)

long time reader, first time commenter & fellow GF-er. also, i grew up in waterloo but now live in denver, co. my aunt & uncle live in WDM & i always share your restaurant recs with them. :) commenting to support you on your GF journey & tell you i’ve made your creamy pasta (knoll’s copycat) three times, using Tinkyada brand brown rice pasta (my all time fave GF pasta) and i thickened the sauce with Pamela’s Pancake & Baking Mix (to replace flour). it was delicious!!! and even my non-GF pasta obsessed hubby loved it!

Going Gluten Free can be a challenge but the value of feeling better to me outweighs any of those other frustrations I’ve been GF for about a year now. Quick question I am allergic to bananas so was wondering how many eggs I would need to sub for the banana in this recipe? Thanks, can’t wait to make these.

Same here! Not allergic, but definitely intolerant. Makes my stomach hurt for hours. I see all these “awesome healthy cookies” and then of course it’s made with banana :) I have blackberries staring at me in the fridge, so I’ll be giving these a try

Wow! I have several friends with the C. disease and understand it can be a struggle at times but I am excited to tell them about your blog! I have always loved your natural, simple approach to cooking…not to mention delicious! So, I know your GF recipes will be something anyone will like!
When I found your blog about a year and half ago, I made a big change in the way I cooked, I started eating healthier and just simple ingredients instead of the ‘easy’ packets + water we all have loved in the past! Since then, I have really grown to love natural eating and we could all use less gluten as well so this girl isn’t going anywhere!
Thank you for including us in your new GF adventure!

The are starting to make some pretty tasty Gluten Free Beer! I highly recommend the Omission Series from Widmere brewing Co out of Portland Oregon (if you can find it out there that is) It is brewed normally and the gluten is removed! I can’t even tell the deference and it tastes phenomenal. Oh and hard ciders are also a go!

First off, I am glad you found a reason that you were sick and not some doctor steadily saying oh that’s natural. So many people seem to go undiagnosed for so many different diseases.

I do not have celiac disease. However my pilates instructor told me that gluten affects my arthritis by keeping everything inflamed. Anyway, I haven’t gone fully gluten-free but I am more conscience about what I eat/drink now. My kids love your recipes. (As if now at age 20 and above they have any choice. Mommy cooks like this so either get on this healthy train or get left at the station).

Some suggestions I might have for you as far as flours. I love love love!! Cup for Cup brand. They have all-purpose, pizza, pancake/waffle and a brownie blend. I buy them from Williams-Sonoma. I even asked Mario Batali about will that convert well when making pasta and he said yes.

And while it may not be beer, I love Angry Orchard. I will drink a 6-pack by myself.

I’ve been a devout IGE reader for about two years. I love reading about all your travels and testing out your recipes. It just so happens I was ALSO diagnosed with Celiac disease a month ago! With the exception of cookies and cake (and beer), my diet was mostly built around GF foods already too! I’m excited to continue reading along as we start on our gluten-free adventures! Thank you for sharing your story and I’m so glad to hear you are feeling better!

Kristen I have been reading and loving your blog for years and I got diagnosed with celiac about a year and a half ago. While I am sad that you had to suffer from this disease I am so excited to be able to make all your recipes without adapting them

The post I’ve been waiting on :) I’ll just sit here and hug you from Texas, I know what this crazy new world feels like, but having you and your blog alongside is such a treat. Didn’t know the c-section could awaken this beast, bet that’s what did it for me. And lastly, I swear no one understands how better we feel, I want to scream it from the roof tops, but I won’t cause that would be weird.

What a great post…I’m happy that you found out the reason you weren’t feeling well. Though I don’t have Celiac Disease, I am excited to try some (or a LOT) of your GF recipes! These breakfast cookies look AMAZING and I am so excited to try them!

I love your blog and I am happy to see it going GF. I gave up refined sugar for lent, which led me to give up bread, pasta, (basically flour products), dairy, and grains. I rarely eat meat, if I do it is chicken, (vegetarian fed)and over the last week I find I am feeling GREAT! I thought I felt good before but while I don’t have Celiac disease I do think I am intolerant. I am looking forward to more of your recipes. BTW, Lincoln is absolutely adorable!

I just went GF as well for health purposes. I don’t have celiac disease, just inflammation (eczema) and it has helped me as well! You are a true inspiration and I love all of your recipes. I’m also excited that you are posing gluten free recipes! I cannot wait to try these cookies.

Wow!! Being honest and up front is definitely courageous and I think will be most appreciated by your followers. My husband is not celiac but is gluten intolerant (diagnosed by the guru of celiac docs – Joseph Murray who is now at Mayo). This was 15 years ago next month. There is lots of good food out there — and it is much easier than 15 years ago — better labeling and more choices. We are senior citizens and now longer have to balance the work/cook dance. We both participate in food prep and sometimes amaze our friends with things that are gluten free. All I have to offer is some experience but feel free to contact me. Are you aware of the gluten free group that meets quarterly here in Des Moines area? Looking forward to your experiments and lots of new recipes that are gluten free!
Barb Miller

I’m so happy for you that you were able to figure out what was going on and make changes to feel better. I fully believe the difference will hardly be seen on your blog. Your recipes are always great and I look forward to the gf change!

I discovered I had Celiac after a pregnancy also, I came upon your site from Pinterest because you had some great gluten free recipes. I too felt a little freaked out after the diagnosis and worried I would never have great food. Honestly, I eat more flavorful and delicious food now than ever! Sometimes I miss a nice doughy piece of pizza but I have cheated and had a piece and the awful feeling that follows is not worth it one bit and it doesn’t taste quite as good as I remember it tasting. Your recipes are fabulous!

I’m glad that you’ve been able to figure out why you were feeling bad. I didn’t know that traumatic physical events could trigger Celiacs.

I cut gluten out for a month, and my favorite sub was zoodles (julienned zucchini microwaved for 90 seconds). I don’t make a ton of spaghetti, but when I do, I make your crockpot spaghetti sauce (easy and THE BEST!) and it was awesome with the zoodles. I agree with what you found…a ton of your recipes don’t have gluten. Which makes me think I should make your chicken fajita salad again!

I am so happy for you that being GF has made you feel so much better. I am a new GF-er also, I went gluten free in December and it too made me feel like a new person! Your blog is my absolute fav for recipes, my husband is not GF and I have been cooking your recipes at least 4-5x a week for ages. He loves your recipes, but I can’t eat most of them because I am not only GF but also a vegetarian. So I am excited for this new twist in your blogging! Seriously Lincoln is so amazing and adorable!!

I can’t imagine all that you’ve been going through for the past 6 months, but I’m glad you got it figured out what was making you feel so crappy (even if it does mean eliminating gluten from you diet) and that you’re feeling 100% better! yay!

I’m loving your gluten-free recipes and it’ll be good to give me more tasty and nutritious ideas to give to clients and customers who have Celiac. Don’t worry, I’m still reading!

Have you talked with a dietitian since you were diagnosed? If you ever want to see a product in the grocery store or some advice, I’d strongly recommend checking out the dietitian at your Hy-Vee. Being one of them myself, they’re a great resource to use…and they’re free! :)

Awesome post! I am about 95% gluten-free, and when I can make something traditional without gluten, I do! I also feel better when I am not constantly eating gluten (it’s in more than people realize), and it makes me appreciate my organic veggies from my CSA, clean meat, and awesome foods like lentils, rice, quinoa, and of course, Bob’s Gluten-Free Oats (which I used last night in some blueberry muffins!).

I just had to comment because I am actually excited to see gluten free recipes on your blog. I went gluten free about 2 years ago. I have been reading your blog for several years. So, I went from being able to eat everything you could eat to having to adjust recipes or just not have them. Now I no longer have to do that ;-) I am so glad that you figured out what is causing your discomfort and illness so that you can get back on the path to healthy! It made such a difference in my life, and I hope it will in yours as well!

I’m glad you are feeling better after all that. Not fun. I have a girlfriend who was diagnosed at about your age only because her daughter was. She had suffered her whole life from rheumatoid arthritis without knowing it was the celiac! Anyway, we all eat Gf to accommodate her on girls weekends so I’m really looking forward to your recipes. Best of luck!

Welcome to the world of eating Gluten Free, Kristin. I’ve been gluten free for almost two years. I’m glad you are feeling better. I know how much you love Trader Joe’s, so I wanted to share that they have great GF pasta at a reasonable price ($2/lb). I personally prefer brown rice pasta over corn pasta, but last night had a corn/rice blend pasta (from Barilla) that was really good, not as sticky as the brown rice pasta. I look forward to continued food inspiration from your blog, and seeing updates of Lincoln and how family life is going (I have a 9-month old myself). Keep up the good work!
Angie

I love this post, thanks for sharing:) I met my boyfriend when he was newly diagnosed with Celiac’s disease. So, I have adjusted pretty much to eating what works for him….and there are so many things that are still great, I keep in mind that I get to have regular wheat things….but I have lost 6 lbs over 5+ weeks, with just the change in food—-win win! I am super glad he takes his health seriously………the feeling ill is nothing to joke about. My sister also has this diagnosis too………

Wow. I’m sorry to hear about this but I’m glad you found the issue that was causing your health concerns. Honestly I appreciate the fact that you actually have a diagnosis. I know a lot of people who have gone GF but have no basis or reasoning for doing so – which really makes me question the whole GF movement. I wish you the best with your new diet and journey!

I’m so glad they found out what is wrong with you- and I’m glad you’re feeling awesome now! My Mom had to go gluten free about 3 years ago… in her 70’s! It has been tough for her, and I’ve had to help her a lot… which means I know an awful lot about how to eat gluten-free now too. The worst is trying to go out to dinner, as I’m sure you already know. We’ve discovered Cup4Cup Flour- that’s the best blend I’ve tried on the market for subbing into existing recipes. Wish you best of luck w/ it all, and I’m sure your blog will make a nice transition.

I hope you are doing better and feeling better. I am gluten free as well and I have always loved your blog because I would make the substitute, but now I am going to love it even more! :) These cookies look amazing and I can’t wait to try them out!

I’m so glad you figured out what was making you sick!! That does not sound fun! I am gluten free because of my Crohn’s Disease. It makes the medication not work. Womp, womp. Can’t wait to see more recipes from one of my favorite bloggers!

My twin daughters have wheat allergies and I went gluten-free as of last August so we are gluten-free at my house as well. I was suspicious for Celiac Disease but not officially diagnosed. It is very evident to me that I have a gluten intolerance.

I don’t really care for Trader Joe’s GF flour blend but they do have really good (and cheap) corn spaghetti and penne pastas. I am also a fan of a quinoa/golden flax pasta I found at Hy-Vee.

Thank you for sharing your journey with us. I have to say I will be looking forward to more GF recipes from you. And I was especially excited to see today’s recipe was egg-free as my daughters are also allergic to eggs.

I think I’ll like your recipes even more now! I also had an emergency c-section back in October. Since that time I have felt awful – my body aches all over, especially my joints. While I don’t have many of the symptoms you described (I can’t lose any weight despite EBF), celiac can present in numerous ways and I’ve often wondered if I’ve developed a gluten allergy since my son’s birth. I eat probably 90% GF but I know with celiac it needs to be 100% – really my only source of gluten is cakes/cookies (which could explain my lack of weight loss-ha!) So this is all very interesting to me. Thank you for sharing and being open about your experience.

Just wanted to say that I really appreciate you sharing your story, and your change in diet will not deter me from reading this blog! You always have fantastic ideas, and this is just another way for you to continue being your creative self. Hope you can get out this weekend in this much-improved weather this weekend (I’m a fellow midwesterner, hi from Milwaukee, WI!).

As a Registered Dietitian, when I first read the title I was a little nervous, so many people go gluten free for the wrong reasons and Celiacs disease/diagnosed gluten intolerance is the only reason that I would ever recommend going gluten free for. I am so happy that you were able to be diagnosed and you have already discovered that there are SO many foods that are naturally gluten free.

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hi, i’m kristin!

I'm a Midwestern wife and Mom of two little boys. After being diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2013, Iowa Girl Eats is a place I share delicious and approachable gluten-free recipes made with everyday, in-season ingredients. Visit my Recipe Index for inspiration!MORE ABOUT ME

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